Back from trip

Hi all:

Basketcase checking in here! I returned home yesterday from 10 days gone! I went to NC on the 22nd for my brother-in-law to do my taxes and came out pretty darn good. Will not have pay as much as we thought! Praise the Lord! I was there for my father-in-law's 87th birthday on Thursday the 24th and I left on the 25th and met my friends in G'burg for a week. It was fabulous and emotional at the same time. Charlie and I loved going there so this being my first time back without him was tough; but actually he was with me. I took him along for this trip! It was emotional driving back yesterday as I came back over the mountain between G'burg and Cherokee which we loved and that is where I've decided we both can be scattered together. My wishes will be to mix us together and scatter half of us on the NC side and half on the TN side. I did have a grand time but it's good to be home now. Feb. 21 was six months since Charlie passed away and I did take the finished afghan throw to the oncologist's office. The receptionist made me take it back there to the chemo room and I'm glad as I did get to see the nurse that Charlie was so fond of as she wasn't there when I went by the Monday after he passed away. Anyway it was bittersweet and the friend that had the timeshare we went to in G'burg had stopped by as she was at her cousin's who lives here and we were going to Trader Joe's to get stuff for the trip; so she went with me and then we went and saw the KMart crew at the one where Charlie worked so we just hit all the emotional highspots on that day! But I love those people at both places and I do enjoy seeing them. They are all so good to me! We went to the Dixie Stampede show Mon. night in Pigeon Forge and it was just great. My best friend and her husband had to leave on Wed. so the friend that had the timeshare and I stayed till Friday and we did the Titanic musuem in Pigeon Forge and it was really good. Of course we shopped till we dropped, etc. etc. On our way out yesterday morning my dogsitter called me to tell me Blue (one of the shelties) would not stand up; seemed okay otherwise; so she was going to take him to the vet but I was going to have to tell her how to get there and of course this was as we started over the mountain so phone service was out for over an hour and by the time I got back in touch with her he was standing up again so she took him home. So when I got home I took him to the vet and they were going to do x-rays but the machine was being changed out so she gave him some antibiotics and some pain meds as he was running a slight fever; but they both have been getting (Blue and Rowdy) glucosimine chondrotin daily and my dogsitter didn't give it to them for a few days (she forgot) so that may be what's causing it. However, Blue and Rowdy will be 13 in May and June so I'm sure it's arthritis of some sort. But I'm supposed to take Blue back for x-rays possibly on Mon. morning. He does seem to be somewhat better and is walking around the house; so hopefully he'll continue to improve. Rowdy also limps around some too but he gets around pretty good. So much for my dog story. Sammy the dachund is only 4 so he's pretty active.

I do have to tell y'all about the place I stopped and filled up going into G'burg last Friday. They had gas for $3.23 and I only needed half a tank to fill up so I figured it was as good a price as I was going to get. Now this is after you've pulled off I-40 and on the two-way highway going into G'burg. Well, this place has been there forever obviously as when I got out to pump the gas there was no slot for a credit/debit card in the pumps! So I go inside to tell them I want to fill up and have to wait for a little bit. Now the place was very clean and probably one of the cleanest rest rooms I've seen around and they had a pizza and sandwich deli within their store. Anyway these fellows are checking out in front of me and one of them is just talking away to the one checking out and I thought they were together. They weren't; so when the one checking out was through, the one talking to him turns to me and just continues his conversation like I know exactly what he's talking about; which I didn't but pretended I did! So I tell the clerk I need to fill up and she fixes the pump so I can do that and I walk outside to pump my gas. This other fellow who had been in there (and I think they're regulars as this seemed to be the local hangout for folks!) walks out behind me and sees me going to my car to pump the gas and just goes on about how much he liked the color of my car. I drive a 2005 Chevy Equinox and he tells me "I've never seen a car like that before, what is that?" I first thought, "Sir, how long has it been since you've been to town?" but I didn't say that of course and told him what it was and he just knew it was a 2010/2011 and I told him, "No, you flatter me but it's a 2005"; to which he resounds, "NO!" Is it a 4wheel; two wheel or all wheel drive?" I told him I didn't know but he peeked thru the window and said it was probably an all wheel drive and told me to have a nice trip! I told him thank you! It was your typical little country store with all the trimmings but they were very nice!

Anyway that's about all for now. Missed checking in with y'all and hope everyone's doing well! Love y'all and God Bless!

Jan (Basketcase)